IT’S RARE these days to find young female singers who could use sex to sell their records — but don’t. Rarer still when they’re cool enough for kids and critically acclaimed bestselling album artists.

So the week after Britney Spears insisted that she’s still a good role model for girls, it’s refreshing to hear from two good-looking women who prove that musical talent can work better than prancing about in a bra and hotpants.

Alicia Keys, 23, is the New Yorker whose first single, Fallin’, shot her on